I think it depends on what you're trying to learn. For general workflow learning, I've found video tutorials for Unity and Photoshop really useful because there's a lot of UI navigation required, and watching someone's mouse jump around is quicker than reading an explanation of which window/menu/thing to click on. Also, you often learn nifty shortcuts that you wouldn't otherwise know about, and it can be beneficial watching someone else's thought process as they go about tasks, much like sitting down with someone at a desk.

If I'm learning about code-related stuff, then I'd much prefer some sample code and a dark silent room.